Loobs
Living in the demountable.
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Hiku named at 5/8
- Thread starter ManlyArmy
- Start date
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HoldenV8
Journey Man
Agreed. I personally would put Tommy on the wing, Hiku in the centres and Killer at 5/8. The problem is that I'm not Trent Barrett and Killer doesn't want to move to the #6 jumper.
HoldenV8
Journey Man
Bit of a game report
NZ 34 (Tuivasa-Sheck 2, Nightingale, Kahu, Bromwich, Whare, Nikorima tries; Lolohea 2, Luke goals) def. Leeds 16 (Moon 2, Briscoe tries; Lilley 2 goals). Crowd: 20,158.
From what I've been reading, despite winning by 18 the Kiwis failed to impress. Their handling wasn't good and neither half had much of an impact on the game with a lot of the play making and kicking being done by Isaac Luke.
Hiku apparently played 5/8 like he plays at Manly.....no kicking or passing game to speak of. The general feeling is that despite the win they looked fairly rudderless without Johnson and Foran. Maybe Kearney's personal issues with Benji which saw him miss selection will come back to haunt them against the Poms.
Don't get me wrong but you can't go into a 3 game test series without a recognised halfback or 5/8. You might get away with it against a lower ranked team, but not against England. I think to win this series NZ are going to need their forwards to dominate and for RTS to play like the worlds best fullback a lot of people think he is.
NZ 34 (Tuivasa-Sheck 2, Nightingale, Kahu, Bromwich, Whare, Nikorima tries; Lolohea 2, Luke goals) def. Leeds 16 (Moon 2, Briscoe tries; Lilley 2 goals). Crowd: 20,158.
From what I've been reading, despite winning by 18 the Kiwis failed to impress. Their handling wasn't good and neither half had much of an impact on the game with a lot of the play making and kicking being done by Isaac Luke.
Hiku apparently played 5/8 like he plays at Manly.....no kicking or passing game to speak of. The general feeling is that despite the win they looked fairly rudderless without Johnson and Foran. Maybe Kearney's personal issues with Benji which saw him miss selection will come back to haunt them against the Poms.
Don't get me wrong but you can't go into a 3 game test series without a recognised halfback or 5/8. You might get away with it against a lower ranked team, but not against England. I think to win this series NZ are going to need their forwards to dominate and for RTS to play like the worlds best fullback a lot of people think he is.
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Jax24
Reserve Grader
Peta went ok I thought. Most of the general play kicking was done by Luke. Peta put up a couple of bombs up with one not being that flash, however he did put a cross kick in which led to a Leeds knock on and eventuated with another Kiwi try from the next set. Peta also had a try assist to RTS with a offload in a tackle.
Considering he didn't have the luxury of playing with an experienced half (Lolohea on debut) he did alright. Nothing spectacular but that can be expected when your thrust into a pivotal position.
I think the Kiwi team was quite rusty in general as many of the team did not play Finals footy this year. Also there are quite a few new players and combinations were a bit off at times. However when things clicked it was spectacular.
The winning of the game had a lot to do with the forwards and bench who made a big impact. Matalino, Bromich, Taupau, Moa and Taukeiaho really started to run riot once the match went on. Nikorima played well and could even push for a halves spot possibly.
Other than lots of dropped ball the only negative was last option plays. It appears with no notable kicking options it will be shared around by Luke, Lolohea and Peta. Not to sure if they have any other choices. This could get ugly if that is the case lol. I guess as I mentioned Nikorima could get a shot as he has a bit of a kicking game.
I do get a feeling Peta will most likely retain his spot as will Lolohea. It will basically be a learn on the fly situation as there is no other choices bar Nikorima. As HoldenV8 mentioned I think the Kiwis are going to rely on the forwards and RTS (who played really well) to get the job done. I will be very interested to see how things go over the next few weeks, that's for sure!!!
Considering he didn't have the luxury of playing with an experienced half (Lolohea on debut) he did alright. Nothing spectacular but that can be expected when your thrust into a pivotal position.
I think the Kiwi team was quite rusty in general as many of the team did not play Finals footy this year. Also there are quite a few new players and combinations were a bit off at times. However when things clicked it was spectacular.
The winning of the game had a lot to do with the forwards and bench who made a big impact. Matalino, Bromich, Taupau, Moa and Taukeiaho really started to run riot once the match went on. Nikorima played well and could even push for a halves spot possibly.
Other than lots of dropped ball the only negative was last option plays. It appears with no notable kicking options it will be shared around by Luke, Lolohea and Peta. Not to sure if they have any other choices. This could get ugly if that is the case lol. I guess as I mentioned Nikorima could get a shot as he has a bit of a kicking game.
I do get a feeling Peta will most likely retain his spot as will Lolohea. It will basically be a learn on the fly situation as there is no other choices bar Nikorima. As HoldenV8 mentioned I think the Kiwis are going to rely on the forwards and RTS (who played really well) to get the job done. I will be very interested to see how things go over the next few weeks, that's for sure!!!
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Jax24
Reserve Grader
Yeah I totally agree as well. From the squad (no noted halves) they selected they basically are relying on their forwards, quick dummy half running and RTS. Whether that works is another story all together. I must admist I'm skeptical of it working and preparing for the worst lol. Well done to them if it does though.
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Peta will be fine.
Everyone was just blowing out the cobwebs and getting rid of some rust.
tis all apples....apples I say!
damiennp90
Bencher
Just to make sure. Benjis injured anyway right. Had a leg operation ?
HoldenV8
Journey Man
He did get injured in the semi final against the Scumdogs but from all reports has recovered. Benji isn't in the Kiwi squad because he and Kearney don't like each other. Kearney used the 'looking to the future' excuse as his reason for not picking him to tour. That pig head attitude might come back to haunt the Kiwis on this tour.
Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
Phew...tight game.
mozgrame
Engorged member
Stumbled across this today. Interesting read.
Secret training boosts Kiwis halves combo.
Warriors star Tuimolala Lolohea flew to Sydney for secret training sessions with Kiwis teammates Issac Luke and Peta Hiku during the NRL finals, it can be revealed.
The choice of Hiku as five-eighth for the upcoming series against England only became known to the public last Wednesday when the Manly star was named there for the tour match against Leeds.
But it has now become apparent coach Stephen Kearney decided on his combination long before the tour began.
"Tui came over for a bit, a couple of days, to get with the halves and our spine had a bit of a meeting, just a little bit of a runaround just to visualise what we wanted to do," Hiku told NRL.com in the wake of Friday's tour-opening victory.
"He came over to Sydney where me and Bully (Luke) were and we were going through a little training session, just the three of us.
"It was just a random park, a footy field there, I actually don't remember where it was.
"It was good. We stuck to simple structures.
"Knowing then was better for me than only knowing last minute, only knowing the week before. I had a month to prepare."
Hiku was not completely happy with his performance in the unfamiliar pivot role on Friday but said his teammates had given him the confidence to take his time in becoming accustomed to it.
"When I first found out it was a bit nerves-racking but as I went along all the boys helped me out," he said.
"With the boys' help, it calmed me down quite a lot, I was actually looking forward to playing six.
"The start (against Leeds) wasn't what we wanted but I enjoyed being our there with the boys and I'm looking forward to doing it again.
"It took me a while to get used to it. As Mooks (Kearney) said, play my own game and 'get used to it, don't over-think everything and stick to structure'."
But while Hiku has a clear advantage over selection rivals Kodi Nikorima and Tohu Harris to hold the five-eighth spot, he knows there are no guarantees if results start going against the tourists.
"I suppose Mooks can change his mind at any time," Hiku said. "He hasn't spoken about next week so I'm fully confident I'll be there next week and run out with the boys against England."
England had a quiet day on Sunday after their record 84-4 win over France, when New Zealand settled into their training camp base in the south of France.
The Kiwis will monitor the fitness of Adam Blair (calf) and Jordan Kahu (groin) over the coming days
http://www.nrl.com/secret-training-boosts-kiwis-halves-combo/tabid/10874/newsid/90650/default.aspx
Secret training boosts Kiwis halves combo.
Warriors star Tuimolala Lolohea flew to Sydney for secret training sessions with Kiwis teammates Issac Luke and Peta Hiku during the NRL finals, it can be revealed.
The choice of Hiku as five-eighth for the upcoming series against England only became known to the public last Wednesday when the Manly star was named there for the tour match against Leeds.
But it has now become apparent coach Stephen Kearney decided on his combination long before the tour began.
"Tui came over for a bit, a couple of days, to get with the halves and our spine had a bit of a meeting, just a little bit of a runaround just to visualise what we wanted to do," Hiku told NRL.com in the wake of Friday's tour-opening victory.
"He came over to Sydney where me and Bully (Luke) were and we were going through a little training session, just the three of us.
"It was just a random park, a footy field there, I actually don't remember where it was.
"It was good. We stuck to simple structures.
"Knowing then was better for me than only knowing last minute, only knowing the week before. I had a month to prepare."
Hiku was not completely happy with his performance in the unfamiliar pivot role on Friday but said his teammates had given him the confidence to take his time in becoming accustomed to it.
"When I first found out it was a bit nerves-racking but as I went along all the boys helped me out," he said.
"With the boys' help, it calmed me down quite a lot, I was actually looking forward to playing six.
"The start (against Leeds) wasn't what we wanted but I enjoyed being our there with the boys and I'm looking forward to doing it again.
"It took me a while to get used to it. As Mooks (Kearney) said, play my own game and 'get used to it, don't over-think everything and stick to structure'."
But while Hiku has a clear advantage over selection rivals Kodi Nikorima and Tohu Harris to hold the five-eighth spot, he knows there are no guarantees if results start going against the tourists.
"I suppose Mooks can change his mind at any time," Hiku said. "He hasn't spoken about next week so I'm fully confident I'll be there next week and run out with the boys against England."
England had a quiet day on Sunday after their record 84-4 win over France, when New Zealand settled into their training camp base in the south of France.
The Kiwis will monitor the fitness of Adam Blair (calf) and Jordan Kahu (groin) over the coming days
http://www.nrl.com/secret-training-boosts-kiwis-halves-combo/tabid/10874/newsid/90650/default.aspx
HappilyManly
Journey Man
Can anyone find a broadcast time for these Kiwi games?
| Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 59 | 12 |
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 12 |
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 10 |
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 10 |
|
7 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 9 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 8 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 8 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | -8 | 8 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | -18 | 8 |
|
7 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 7 |
|
7 | 3 | 4 | 31 | 6 |
|
7 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 6 |
|
6 | 2 | 4 | -31 | 6 |
|
7 | 3 | 4 | -41 | 6 |
|
7 | 2 | 5 | -29 | 4 |
|
6 | 1 | 5 | -102 | 4 |
|
6 | 0 | 6 | -90 | 2 |
